Four Roles Members of Congress Can Take on When Voting on Bill

Analyze with Hubert Humphrey the U.S. Congress'due south founding and function in America'southward system of checks and balances

When the writers of the Constitution created Congress, they intended for it to be part of the organization of checks and balances.

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Congress of the United States, the legislature of the United States of America, established nether the Constitution of 1789 and separated structurally from the executive and judicial branches of government. It consists of two houses: the Senate, in which each country, regardless of its size, is represented past 2 senators, and the House of Representatives (run into Representatives, House of), to which members are elected on the basis of population. Among the express powers of Congress every bit defined in the Constitution are the ability to lay and collect taxes, borrow money on the credit of the United states, regulate commerce, coin money, declare war, raise and support armies, and make all laws necessary for the execution of its powers.

Although the two chambers of Congress are separate, for the most part, they have an equal role in the enactment of legislation, and there are several aspects of the business organisation of Congress that the Senate and the Firm of Representatives share and that require common activeness. Congress must gather at least one time a twelvemonth and must agree on the appointment for convening and adjourning. The date for convening was set in the Constitution equally the starting time Monday in Dec; however, in the Twentieth Subpoena to the Constitution the appointment was changed to January 3. The date for adjournment is voted on past the House and the Senate.

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Congress must likewise convene in a joint session to count the electoral votes for the president and vice president. Although not required by the Constitution, joint sessions are besides held when the president or some visiting dignitary addresses both houses.

Of common interest to both houses of Congress are likewise such matters as authorities printing, general bookkeeping, and the congressional budget. Congress has established individual agencies to serve these specific interests. Other agencies, which are held straight responsible to Congress, include the Copyright Royalty Tribunal, the Botanic Garden, and the Library of Congress.

The term of Congress extends from each odd-numbered year to the next odd-numbered yr. For its annual sessions, Congress adult the commission system to facilitate its consideration of the diverse items of business that arise. Each house of Congress has a number of standing (permanent) committees and select (special and temporary) committees. Together the ii chambers of Congress course joint committees to consider subjects of common interest. Moreover, because no act of Congress is valid unless both houses approve an identical document, briefing committees are formed to adjust disputed versions of legislation.

At the beginning of a session, the president delivers a State of the Union accost, which describes in broad terms the legislative programme that the president would similar Congress to consider. Later on, the president submits an almanac upkeep message and the report on the economic system prepared by the president'southward Council of Economic Advisors. Inasmuch as congressional committees require a period of time for preparing legislation before information technology is presented for general consideration, the legislative output of Congress may be rather small-scale in the early weeks of a session. Legislation not enacted at the stop of a session retains its condition in the following session of the aforementioned two-yr Congress.

Follow a nib from a congressional committee to beingness signed into police force past the president of the United states

Mark Andrews and Thomas Eagleton talk about how Congress passes legislation.

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In terms of legislation, the president may be considered a operation office of the congressional process. The president is expected to keep Congress informed of the demand for new legislation, and government departments and agencies are required to transport Congress periodic reports of their activities. The president also submits certain types of treaties and nominations for the approving of the Senate. Ane of the most important legislative functions of the president, however, is that of signing or vetoing proposed legislation. The president'south veto may be overridden by a ii-thirds vote of each chamber of Congress; nevertheless, the influence of the president's potential power may extend to the procedures of Congress. The possibility that a bill may be vetoed gives the president some influence in determining what legislation Congress volition consider initially and what amendments will be acceptable. In addition to these legal and ramble powers, the president has influence as the leader of a political party; political party policy both in Congress and among the electorate may be molded by the president.

Although the U.S. Supreme Courtroom has no straight relations with Congress, the Supreme Court's implied ability to invalidate legislation that violates the Constitution is an even stronger restriction on the powers of Congress than the presidential veto. Supreme Court and federal court decisions on the constitutionality of legislation outline the constitutional framework within which Congress tin act.

Congress is also affected past representative interest groups, though they are not part of the formal structure of Congress. Lobbyists play a pregnant part in testifying before congressional hearings and in mobilizing opinion on select issues.

Many of the activities of Congress are not directly concerned with enacting laws, but the power of Congress to enact police force is often the sanction that makes its other actions effective. The general legal theory nether which Congress operates is that legal authority is delegated to the president or executive departments and agencies and that the latter, in turn, are legally responsible for their actions. Congress may review whatever actions performed by a delegated authority; and in some areas of delegated legislation, such equally in proposals for governmental reorganization, Congress must bespeak approval of specific plans earlier they go into result. Congress may also retain the right to cease legislation by joint action of both houses.

Congress exercises general legal command over the employment of government personnel. Political command may also exist exercised, particularly through the Senate's power to advise and consent to nominations. Neither the Senate nor the House of Representatives has whatsoever direct constitutional power to nominate or otherwise select executive or judicial personnel (although in the unusual event that the electoral college fails to select a president and vice president, the two houses, respectively, are expected to do and then). Furthermore, Congress does not customarily remove officials. Congress, however, does take the power of impeachment. In such proceedings the impeachment is made by the House of Representatives, and the case is tried before the Senate—a vote of two-thirds of the senators present is required for conviction.

The ability to levy and collect taxes and to advisable funds allows Congress considerable authorization in fiscal matters. Although the president has the initial responsibility for determining the proposed level of appropriations, in one case estimates for the adjacent financial year are submitted to Congress, a single budget bill is not enacted, but rather a number of appropriation bills for various departments and agencies are passed during the first six or seven months of a session.

In its nonlegislative capacity, Congress also has the ability to initiate amendments to the Constitution, and it must determine whether united states should vote on a proposed amendment by land legislatures or past special state conventions. Finally, Congress has the right to investigate whatever bailiwick that affects its powers. Congressional investigating committees may phone call witnesses and require them to produce data. These committees may likewise be given the power that persons who deliberately block the legislative process may be charged with antipathy of Congress and may be issued warrants for their arrests.

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